Railway signaling



May 24, 1932. P. H. CRAGO RAILWAY SIGNALING Filed March 1:5. 1931 INVENTOR. P CF47 o By @141 M 4 ATTORNEY.

Patented May 24, 1932?.

'* UNITE e" s TAT as P i-Ear C E PAUL H. calico, or WILKINSBURG, Pams vmm, nssreivon 'ro run UNiONf. swrrenr- -z a SIGNAL COMPANY, or SWISSVALE, Pennsy vania, a CORPORATION on rnnn- SYLVANIAc I 7 Application filed March' 13, 12131. A se r alfnq.322,245. j p 1 ,5,

My invention relates to railway signaling, and particularly to automatic signaling systerms of the type wherein the signals are controlled by the passage of trains over short insulated track sections; Signaling systems embodying my invention are particularly Well adapted for, though not limited to, traction systems of the monorail thirdrail, or

- overhead trolley types.

'IWlll describe one form of signaling system embodyingmy invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

The accompanying drawing'is a' diagrammatic view showing one form of signaling system embodying my invention.

Referring to the drawing, the reference Character T designates a track rail'of a rail- 'Way track, and may, for'example, be the single rail of a monorail traction system. Traflic along'thist'rack normally moves in the direction indicated by the arrow; The

' track T is divided into a plurality of blocks 12, 2+3, 34, e'tcg Located at the enrail section 9, the length of this section being less than the length ofthe shortest trucker car which uses the railroad. "Located in adthe rail T on each side of the section. 'j Each blocliis provided with a main relay designated by the reference character P with a distingnishing prefix, each of which relays 1 comprises a reverse winding -E, ",a normal is moved'to'a normal or a reverse position in. response to energizatlon of the normal or reverse winding. The relay is so'de sign ed that the contact member Swill remain in the position to which it is moved by either'winding until the other winding be'comes-enen gized. QReferring to relay 1P, the'reverse windingE is provided" with a circuit which includes'the associated insulated rail section 5 9, the mainrail T, and a'battery 12'. -The trance end of each block is a shortinsulated' jumper 11, which connects the two ends of winding F andfa contact "member '8"which relays H and D are energized, the proceed lamp of'the associated signal willbelighted; v Q

RAILWAY sme ma i normal Winding .F. of this relay is provided with a circuit wh'ichincludes the insulated rail section 10 for-the block next I as well as battery12 andthe track railT. It

in advance,

followsthat both windings of relay 1P are normally deenergized, andthat-windingE 1 W11]. become "momentarily; energized when a train wheel" occupies the associated track section 9, whereas" winding F will become-v.

distinguishing prefixes. Referring to relay rent, through reverse contact 8"-8? winding of relay QHIand normal, contact 8 8 of relay 2P to terminal- 0 of the same source of cnrrentp; Itwill be seen that this circuitis closed whenand only when relay .is in the reverse position' and relay 12P is'fin the normal position. The circuit for distant 7 .relay' 1D is from terminal B, throngh the winding of relay"lD,"front. contact 1H6 of home relay 1H,' and normal contact 8 8? of a I Hand a" distant relay the reference char-. acters for these relays being provided with 2H,;forblock 2-3, the .circuit for this relay? is from terminal B of a suitable soiirc e of our- I p ofrelay 1P, back contact 1H5 of home'relay 1H,

relay 21 It follows that relay 1-D will'be en- "ergized when and only when relay l Hl isenergized and relay 2P is in the-normal 'posiq35' Located adj acentthe-entrance ofieachblock is a signal designated by the reference char.-

acter s with-aldistinguishing prefix; Each of these signals, in the formghere shown; com- 96.

prises threec el'ectric lamps G, Y,and"R,;ar-

ranged when lighted .to-indicate. proceed; caution and stop, respectively. 3 These lamps are ,controlled by the contactsl3 and14,0f the home and distant relays intheii'sual and well l known mannerLQThat jis to'say, when both when relay H is energized and relay Dis deenergized, the caution lamp Y of-the associate and this in turn will close contact 2H6, there- ,r

by completing the circuit for relay "2D. "It 'iol lo-ws that withhlocks 1 2,"S2 3 and 3+4 unoccupied, relaysQI-I :and 2]) will both rhehome energized, so that signal 2S willindicate proceed. Whenfthe tE-ain passes section .10 of block 1-.2,it will have ;no efi'eotion -those gpor- V vrtion s of :the app aratus shown in [the drawing.

nprooeed I NVhen the first wheelof the trainenters seccuit for winding r 'tion 2.

VV'hen the trainenters section .9 at .location ,2, it will reverse relay 2?, thereby opening at contact 8 8 ,-:tl18 circuit for relay 2H, with the result thatsignal-QS will change lf-rom th e indication to the stop indication.

tion ,101inhloc'k 23,'it will momentarily .energize the "normal winding F of relay 1P, thereby restoring the latter relay to its mor- ,lTlEKl position. It willlbe noted that the on- F of relay 1? includes Joack cOntactQHZ, so that this vvinding @can not be energized to restore=rrelay to its normal position unless relay has become deenerg izediin response to the reverof .relay 21 The operation ofihe'ap pa- Lratus during the progress of the tra n through the remainder ofthe stretch .oftrack ,sh-own'in the drawing, willheapparent from,

the foregoing without further \detailed .ex-

' planation. v

' in will be noted that the circuit 'for eadh theme relay H includes a back contact .5' of the home relay tor-the pnecedi-ngiblock. This :contact servesasafurtherchec k-ongthe proper operation of :the :agpparatus, for the'reason that i'el ay tor-example, can not become energizedrwhen aftrnzinienters "block 2-:3 unless relay 2H opens in response to the :pa sf this 'tnain iover rails-section '9 at locae A-ithong' h I have herein shown and described only one 'form of signalin'g system embody-ing my invention, it is understood that.

various changes and modifications kma y ice 1 made therein within the scope of 'theappendved claimsiwithont departing from the spirit and scope ofmy invention. i

' Having thus descr'bed my invention, what I is:

V e 1. iincombination arailway trackidivided into blocks, a main ,relay for each block ,hav-

a normal and a reverse winding and 1a contact member which is moved to normal or reverse position in response to momentary energization of the normal or thereverse winding and which subsequently remains in the position to which it is moved by either winding until the other winding becomes energized, means operating whentatrain enters r a block to energize the reversewinding of the associated main relay, means operating when train has proceeded *a given distance into a "block to energize the normal winding of the main-relay for the block-next in the wear, a home relay and a distant relay for each block, means for energizing the home relay for a block' when and only when the 8 associated main relay isxin normal position sand themain relay for the -hlocklnext in the .rear ,is .in the reverse ,positi-on, aneans tor energizing the distantrelay for a block when and only when the associated home relay is energized and the main relay for the block next in advance is. :in .normal goositi'on,:and signals for the :blockscontroll-edby. said home and distant relays. g I j vided intoablocks, a short insulated, rail sec- 2. In combination, a railway tacka"1ail di-" etion atthe'entraneetoeach block and a second short insulated rai-l seotionior each block at substantially maxi-mum train length conductor connecting the two ends of said mail "on each side of veach insulated section, a main relay for each block having amorrmal and areverse winding :and a contact member which is (moved -to t-normal or reverse position ,in response to i-energizattion of the -i1or1na1 or ;reverse winding and which-subsequently remains'inthe positionto which .it ismoved either winding until the-other;

winding becomes energized, circuitztor the" reverse winding of each main relay including itllfi firstinsulated section for the -assosonrce )of current, .a circuit for the'mornial winding of each an aim relay including the second insulated rail section for the blocknnext in advance and the main rail as well fas1-a ,source of current, rand signals for the blocks controlled hysaidrelays. 1

vided into blocks, :a. short insulated rail sectioinat the entrance'to .each'blocki'a ndasecond in advance of the first insulated section, a

'ci ated blockand the main mail as Welles 3. In combination, arallway track rrail ,di- 7115 short insulated rail sectionior eachl block at substantially "-inaximnm train length in advance oftheiirst insulated section, aconductor connecting the two' ends of. said rail Ion eachsideofeachinsulatedsection,amain I relay. for each block having a normal and a reverse winding and a contact member which is moved to normal or reverse position in response to the en'ergizationof the normal 7 or reverse winding and which {subsequently remains-in the position to whichiit is moved by either winding runtil the other winding becomes energized, ,:a circuit for :the reverse winding of each main relay including the first insulated rail section for the associated block and the main rail as well as a source of current, a circuit for the normal windingof each main relay including the second insulated rail section for the block next in advance and the main rail as well as a source of current, a home relay and a distant relay for each block, means for energizing the home relay for a block when and only when theassociated main relay is in normal position and the main relay for the block next in the rear is in the reverse position, means for en-1 ergizing the distant relay for a block when and only when the associated home relay is energized and the main relay for the block next in advance is in normal position, and

signals for the blocks controlled by said home and distant relays.

4:. In combination, a railway track divided into blocks, a main relay for each block having a normal and a reverse winding and a contact member which is moved to normal or reverse position in response to momentary energization of the normal or the reverse winding and which subsequently remains in the position to which it is moved by either a winding until the other winding becomes energized, means operating when a train enters a block to energize the reverse winding of the associated main relay, means operating when U a tram has proceeded a glven distance into a block to energize the normal Winding of the main relay for the block next in the rear,

a'home relay and a distant relay'for each: block, a circuit for each home relay includ- 7 ing a normal contact of the associated main relay and a reverse contact of the main relay for the block next in the rear as well as a back contact of the home relay for such .block next in the rear, a circuit for each distant relay including a front contact of the associated home relay and a normal contact of the main relay for the block next in ad,- vance, and signals for the blocks controlled by said home and distant relays. V

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

PAUL H. CRAGO. 

